"Wait here." Kíli said, jumping off his pony at the Thingstead just outside the village. "I have something I need to do on my own."
"What do you mean?" Gamíl asked, confused. "You're king now. You should return in glory, not sneak into the village on your own. When people hear that the King beneath the Mountain has returned they will shout with joy."
"No, Gamíl. I can't ride into this village declaring myself as King beneath the Mountain."
"Why not?"
"Because there's only one way Kíli could have become king." Ori said. "If he rides into this village, declaring himself as King beneath the Mountain, then Lady Dís will know instantly what happened to her brother and oldest son."
"Exactly." Kíli said, nodding to his friend. "Right now I'm not king, just a boy who has to tell his mother about what has happened in a battle far away."
The village was bristling with life, nobody noticed him as he slowly made his way towards the small cottage where he had grown up.
His mother was sitting by the fireplace sewing when he entered. Upon hearing the door she looked up and greeted her youngest son with a smile, a smile that quickly faded when she saw Kíli's expression.
"Kíli. You're back." She said. "But, what's wrong? My dear boy, what's wrong?"
"Mum. Thorin and Fíli, they're..." Kíli began his voice thickening.
"Dead?" His mother's voice was barely a whisper. There was a rustle of fabric and in the next moment Kíli found himself being pulled into a comforting embrace. An embrace he hadn't felt for many long years – he'd been in his forties when he'd declared that he was far too old for that sort of things – and now welcomed with all his heart. He had told Gamíl that he was just a boy, and it was true; he was just a boy being comforted by his mother. For long he cried into his mother's chest, sobbing like a child for the loss of his brother and uncle, before finally the tears subsided.
"Oh, my boy." Dís whispered, leading him towards the bench by the table. "My dear, dear boy."
As Kíli was sitting down he looked into his mother's eyes and noticed the tears glistening in them. However, in more clearly than the tears he noticed the question they seemed to ask, the question regarding the fate of the quest.
"It wasn't in vain." He said, answering the unspoken question. "We have the mountain back. In fact that's why I'm here; to bring you and the other exiles here back to Erebor. Come." He reached up and took the great horn used to call a Thing Meeting – Thorin had left it when leaving upon his quest – then he lead his mother back towards the Thingstead.
The others hadn't been idle while he was away. They had spent the time putting the Thingstead, which had been unused since that fateful meeting the previous year when Thorin had declared his intentions of the quest, back in order.
Without hesitating Kíli walked into the centre of the great circle and jumped onto the rock standing there, and then he brought the horns to his lips. The music rang out loud and clear and it wasn't long before voices could be heard drawing near.
The first to arrive was Gimli; he rushed into the circle and caught his father in a fierce embrace which almost caused Glóin to topple over. Tjará, Glóin's wife, arrived next; she greeted her husband just as fiercely as her son had just done – though without the nearly toppling over part – before turning to look up at Kíli. In no time the Thingstead was filled, the last to arrive being Bombur's wife Hnór with their five children.
"My friends." Kíli said, greeting the crowd. "I bring tidings from the quest of Erebor. It was successful, the dragon has been slain and the Mountain reclaimed."
In no time everyone in the crowd was cheering loudly; Nadúr, the oldest of Bombur and Hnór's sons, even letting out a fierce war-cry, without a doubt something he had learned from Gimli, who had long been his biggest hero.
"This victory has not come without a prize." Kíli continued, once the crowd had gone silent again. "My uncle, Thorin Oakenshield, and my brother, Fíli son of Gnér, have both fallen in battle. They rest now under Erebor."
The silence that now followed was in stark contrast to the cheering which had occurred earlier; for several moments nobody dared say a word, until Gimli finally broke the silence:
"Kíli." He said, looking at his old friend. "If both Thorin and Fíli are dead, then you're..."
"Yes, Gimli. I'm king now: King beneath the Mountain. I have come to bring those exiles who wish to return back to Erebor, we'll leave in a week."
Having said what he wanted to say Kíli stood on the rock for a few moments, to see if there were any questions, before he quickly jumped down and went over to his mother, who stood together with Tjará, Gimli, Glóin, and the rest of Kíli's travelling companions.
"Your mother has been dining with us ever since you left." Tjará informed him as soon as he had joined the group. "I'm expected you all to come." She continued, sending each of them a look not even the bravest wouldn't dare refuse.
As they were making their way towards Glóin's and Tjará's cottage Kíli couldn't help but finding it rather disconcerting that dwarfs much older and wiser than he, and who just a few years ago would have been more likely to yell at him for the newest prank he'd pulled, were all bowing their heads in respect as he passed by. However, the fact that Hnór and her family joined them once they had reached the cottage filled him with joy; the children had an openness and curiosity he found infectious, and he knew that to them he was still just Kíli.
"Does uncle still have that silly hat?"
"Did you slay the dragon?"
"How many pieces of gold are there in Erebor?"
"Is Erebor far away?"
"How long will it take to get there?"
"How can you be 'King beneath the Mountain' when you're not beneath a mountain?"
"Is Erebor bigger than the human city?"
Four little dwarf-boys swarmed Kíli as soon as he was inside, their questions all coming on top of each other, until Hnór took pity on him.
"Boys." She said, coming over with little Mín, who was looking on shyly from her mother's arms. "Give Kíli some air."
"Thank you, Hnór. Now for your questions. Yes, your uncle still has his hat; think it might actually be stuck to his head. No, I didn't slay the dragon; it was done by a man called Bard, who will one day be king of Dale. There are many more pieces of gold in Erebor than can ever be counted. Erebor is very far away, and it'll take us several months to get there. I'm 'King beneath the Mountain' because it's the title of the king of Erebor, even when he isn't actually there. Erebor is much bigger than the human city. And now, I think Tjará is waiting with the dinner."
After dinner Kíli returned home with his mother and climbed the ladder to the attic room he'd been sharing with Fíli until the very day they had left for the quest. He quickly undressed and, after a few seconds of hesitation, lay down in his brother's bed, the bed they had shared until Dís had noticed that her oldest had bruises every morning and was frequently pushed out of bed by his little brother, his little brother who went to sleep dreaming of easier times, of being just a boy.
